Living Life
by DragonSquall
Summary: A side character leaves his home in the slums to see the world. The FF7 world from the eyes of Johnny! My 1st fic, plz R&R!
1. Prologue

Living Life  
By DragonSquallZ

**********  
_Twisting, turning, living, learning  
Forever changing when we arrive  
Plotting, scheming, hoping, dreaming  
Two steps forward, One step back_

= "Angela Via - Wonderland"  
**********

Prologue

He had been living there ever since he was a small boy. His parents, like most were loving and respectful for their only child. They moved into the slums after the crash of the Sector 3 stock markets on the world above. 

Over the years he had grown to enjoy the company of his next door neighbor friends, the two boys Biggs and Wedge lived down the street. Jessie stayed with her father at the run-down local item store. Next door to him lived a friend from the distant town of Nibelheim. Tifa had worked and lived at the bar next door called 7th Heaven for the last few months. 

The small group often hung around outside on the 7th Heaven front porch chatting during the bar's less busier hours. More often than not it was about their thoughts of the outside world. Barret had promised them all a trip to Cosmo Canyon one day and their dreams often reflected them. "Open fields to run and play on all day." 

Often the kids would ask Tifa about life on the other side. Beyond the city of Midgar. He remembered Tifa often giving them her thoughts about life outside the slums. **_"There's too much outside of where we live to explain. You'll never understand it until you've seen what's out there."_** Johnny thought long and hard about those words. _See what's out there..._

He lay down on his bed one night listening to his radio. "...and that was Boko's song requested by Telfi. Coming up on S7 Radio is some ads before some more cool tunes..." As his mind drifted away from reality, he dreamed of a carnival under the starry skies. _Is this what lies outside Midgar? _He shook his head indiscriminantly, shrugging off the thought. _The path outside of this place is close... _Johnny raised his hands, pretending he was slinging his green backpack on his shoulders. The touch of a cold hand on his own unexpectedly flashed his eyes open.

Looking down on him was his father, his hands gripping Johnnys own shaking ones. "You were sleep-talking son." 

Johnny slowly eased his hand away from his dad. "I didn't say anything stupid did I?" he asked quizzically.

"...something about having fun at Gold Saucer. Sounds to me like you, well..." His father paused. "Would...you like to see the world son?"

The feeling of guilt was in him. Johnny knew that he would probably never leave here. But, ever so slowly Johnny nodded. His father closed his eyes. "It will be sad to see you go but..." his father sighed and looked at his son. "...life will go on. Even without your parents by your side we'll always be there for you." He hugged his father tightly. His mother wept slightly in the doorway.

News of Johnny's trip spread like wildfire. Many people asked him to bring them back presents and as usual he agreed. His life was soon going to take another milestone. In the afternoon, Johnny gave a note for Barret to pass on to Tifa that evening. He wanted his final days here to be with the friend he cared for the most.

With his trademark grumble Barret Wallace snatched and pocketed Johnny's note before stumbling off back home to Marlene.

As the lights above dimmed signaling nightfall he waited by the gates underneath the Sector 7 Pillar, sitting silently on the outlying pipe. Nearby stood the two guards, blocking all from entering the restricted area. Eventually he could hear them. Footsteps getting closer. 

Tifa sat down next to him. "I heard the news."

"Yeah, well...I personally wanted to thank you...for the advice."

She streaked her hand through her radiant brown hair and smiled. "It was no problem. Really. I'm happy for you."

"...I'll be going in three days." She nodded in acknowledgement. "...I'm going to miss you all, especially you Tifa." Johnny scratched the back of this head - an obvious sign to her that he didn't have much confidence in what he was going to say next. "Wh...What I was going to say is that I lo-"

The echoing sound of tearing metal nearby muted his words. Johnny turned around to see the two guards eyeing a man near the station. "You were saying?" continued Tifa.

Johnny got to his feet. "Uh...don't worry about it Tifa. I'll tell ya about it later. Ok?" She nodded. "I...guess I better get packing so I'll be off. Bye."

As Johnny disappeared around the corner Tifa remained seated on the pipe. Her mind was not thinking about her friends feelings but about friends of her past. _"I'm going to miss him so much. Just like I miss all of my lost friends...like how I miss..."_

A second metallic clang was heard. Tifa turned around, half expecting to see Wedge around the corner asking for some more stew. To her surprise she saw the commander was struggling to restrain his underling. "Keep still or you'll be reported! Understand?!" ordered the Commander.

"But the man's dying!" snapped his reply. "Now let me try to help him!"

With a shove the commander let him go. "Have it your way! But, you're losing a months pay!"

Tifa peeped around the corner to see the guard kneeling over a person. As the guard came back for medical supplies the person was revealed to her. Tifa gasped. _"It can't be...Cloud?..."_

----------

The next day Johnny was introduced to one of Tifa's childhood friends. Although Cloud was not the most talkative of people, he and Johnny were always able to get a conversation going between each other.

The days passed by unnoticed by most except Johnny. The night before his departure Tifa told Johnny to watch out for their special leaving present. Indeed it was one he wouldn't forget for quite a long time. Amidst the echoing sound of explosions from the plate above somehow Johnny slowly fell into a deep sleep.

A slither of light shone across his tiny bedroom through the slightly opened door. "Let's hope he can handle the horrors of outside..." said his father. He switched off the hallway light and closed the door.


	2. Chapter 1: Pain in the Train

Chapter 1 - Pain in the Train

_All my life I've lived here in these slums. But today, I begin my journey outside of this domain..._

Johnny sipped his coffee quietly, paying close attention to the clock before placing the cup back down. His two hands were clasped around the cup, gathering the warmth emanating from the contents. Johnny had been like this since the morning, mind stuck in deep thought. The train departed a few minutes but he couldn't leave just yet. 

The front door creaked open. His father had returned from work, just in time. "Sorry I'm late son." the old man apologized.

"I-I was worried you weren't going to make it." Johnny stuttered back.

His father smiled as he hung his jacket in the closet. "I'd rather be fired than miss this." his dad laughed. "Besides, you can't leave without our farewell gift." He kneeled down, foraging for something deep inside. 

"Oh come on dad, I can't carry all my items in this little treasure bag!" Johnny moaned. 

"I guarantee that you'll be wanting this one!" His father said as he reversed out of the closet, slowly pulling out a small treasure box with him.

Johnny got up off his chair and walked over, picking up the small box offered to him. Johnny gasped as the lock opened, revealing a thick wad of gil inside. "That was our savings fund for you." said his dad. "Now that you're on your way it's time you got it."

Johnny slid the box inside the front pocket of his backpack. "...thanks."

"I'll thank you back when you help me to my feet!" joked his dad. They both laughed as Johnny gave his father a light tug to his feet. 

His mother came into the room, tears welling in her eyes. "It's time." 

Johnny walked over to her, hugging her lightly. "I'll be alright mum. I promise."

His father walked over to the two. "Good luck son." he said, patting him on the shoulder. "Make us proud."

He pried himself out his mothers caring arms, wiping the tears rolling down his face. "You know I will." He slung his backpack onto his shoulder and stood in the open doorway. "See you soon." Johnny walked down the steps. In his heart, he felt it was the last time he was going to see his home again.

To Johnny's surprise, most of his friends were all waiting outside to farewell him. Amidst all the cheers Johnny spotted out of the corner of his eye a tired looking Cloud standing outside the bar waving with Tifa and Barrett. He smiled as they ran down the street to speak to him. 

He looked deep into the SOLDIER's mako eyes. "Make sure you look after Tifa." Cloud groggily nodded.

The train whistled loudly in the distance. He waved goodbye a final time to his parents standing on their porch and to all friends before he ran towards the train. One of the two Sector 7 gate guards waved as he walked by. As he waved back the captain next to him smacked him around the head. Johnny laughed as he sprung up the steps onto the train platform.

Johnny held out a 20gil note and his old ID card to the ticket officer on the platform. The officer snatched the items before looking conspicuously at the ID card. "Enjoy the ride." he mumbled, passing the card back and signalling for him to enter.

He stepped into the train to be met by the thick stench of dust and rust. Most of the seats were old and battered, tears in the fabric revealing the thick foam underneath. All around the drone of the engines gently hummed, ready to begin rolling. Johnny sat himself in the cleanest seat he could find, taking his backpack off and sitting that next to him. In the seat adjacent of him sat an elderly couple. Leaning into the aisle and looking behind, Johnny spotted some messy writing was scrawled into the wall above a worn out seat at the very end of the carriage. It read: "My Home. Keep Out!"

The rear carriage door swished open, allowing a young couple to enter the carriage. The male appeared to be frustrated at something, cursing about hooligans elsewhere on the train. The girl on the other hand, seemed to be trying to calm down the angered man. They sat themselves down two rows from to back of the carriage.

A whistle screeched outside. The speakers sparked into life. "Good morning, and welcome to Midgar lines. Arrival time at Sector 4 Station will be 11:45." The ticket officer peeped into the carriage before allowing the doors to swish shut. A loud clank of unlocking brakes and the hiss of released steam was followed by the slow movement forward. The sound of cold, squeaky metal quickly died down as the train picked up speed. Johnny lay back, sliding the ID card into his chest pocket before exhaling deeply. He was on his way.

He gazed out through his window into the depths of the slums, soaking up sights he had never laid eyes on before. In the distant horizon beyond the rows of run-down houses an ominous wall rose high into the sky, vanishing under the glare of the plate lights far above. 

The carriage immersed itself in a red glow as they passed an ID checkpoint. A door swished open pushing a cold breeze into the carriage. Through the dim Johnny could make out a young woman sprinting down the carriage into the next one. As the rear doors closed the speakers roared into life. **"Type A Security Alert!! Unidentified passengers confirmed... A search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat!! Type A Security Alert!! Unidentified passengers confirmed... A search of all cars will be conducted!"**

Fear hit all the senses through his body. _Oh no! It can't be me, can it?!_

**"Unidentified passengers located in Car#1. Preparing for Lock Down."**

Johnny pulled out his ID card, clutching it tightly with his hands. In his mind he wished the warning would go away, praying that it was not his card which was the problem. Across from him, he could see the elderly couple still sitting patiently, as if the alert were some kind of formality.

**Car#1 Locked Down. Upgrading to Level 2 Warning.**

His mind seemed to shut out his surroundings, caught in an inner conflict. _This ID card works, I know it does. I'll know for sure when they check Car 4..._

The rear carriage doors hissed open. He made out four silhouettes of two men and two woman coming through the door. Hastily they ploughed their way down to the other end. He felt a chill run down him as the ran past his seat. The last of them half-tripped as she fell over something large in the aisle way. 

The girl picked herself up before mumbling a quick apology. "Sorry about that." she nodded briefly before following her friends out of the carriage. _That's Tifa's voice! _Johnny leaned to his right, peeking around the seat. He jumped slightly as the speakers blared yet another warning.

**Car#4 Locked Down Upgrading to maximum security alert!!**

Near to the front door lay what appeared to be a bag of some sort. He couldn't make it out properly in the alarm light glow. But, unsighted by him earlier was a young lady sitting near the front of the carriage. She angrily pulled herself off her seat to retrieve her possessions.

Peering through the door at the front he just made out the unmistakable spiky haircut of Cloud standing with what looked like Tifa and Barrett in the car ahead. Johnny flopped back down onto his seat. There was no way he was getting out of the carriage._ I wonder what they're up to?_

There was no time to think of their wrongdoings as the rear doors swished open once more. "Alright freeze!" 

_Uh Oh..._

Two guards made their way up the carriage. His heart froze as they made their way up the carriage...and past Johnny. After the guards passed by the elderly couple quickly slipped out of their seats and out the back of the carriage. Nervously peeping around his seat Johnny was surprised to see that he was now the only person other than the guards and the lady up front in the carriage.

She stood frozen upright in the aisle way, staring in fear at the approaching guards. "Escaping from Shinra are ya?!" the guard shouted. 

There was no reply, angering guard further. With great force the guard shoved the girl hard into the front door. She wailed in pain as the metal panels reverberated from the impact. "You slum scum!" he yelled, pinning her shoulders against the door. "Think you can get away with blowing our reactors?!"

"B-b-but it wasn't m-me!" she stuttered back. "Those p-people in c-c-car ahe-"

"Enough of your lies!" the guard retorted, slamming her into the wall again. "Check her bag!"

The other guard nervously picked up the bag and unzipped it. The girl seemed paralyzed in shock as the other guard searched the bag briefly. "There's nothing wrong in here."

"Flip the bag and show me!" the first guard snapped. 

"But that's against regulation 4-17b!" the other guard protested. 

"So is 2-4-1g! Disobeying superior officers." he retorted. "Now show me what's inside." 

With some indecision the second guard slowly turned the bag upside down, dropping numerous papers, some stationary items and a small sum of money on the ground.

"Pick up that money and give it to me." The second guard nodded, hesitantly kneeling down and picking up the wad of notes. He approached the first guard and placed it his open hand. 

**All passengers now identified. Unlocking doors.**

The flashing red lights had finally stopped. "What now Jeebs?" asked the second guard. "She's definitely innocent."

An evil smirk gleaned on Jeebs face. "I say we have a little fun with this 'innocent'..."

The captive realized his intention. "No! Please don't!" she pleaded, trying to break out of his steel grip.

Johnny rose to his feet, attempting to intervene. "Let her go!" he shouted.

The guards turned around, surprised by the disturbance. "Get lost runt! Unless you wanna piece of fist upside the head." 

Johnny was unfazed by the empty threats the guard threw. "I'm not afraid of you." he countered, beckoning for the guard to approach. "Come on then!"

Jeebs threw the captive into the front seating and rolled his sleeves up. Johnny could make out some kind of army tattoo of some bird drawn just under his wrist. "Out of my way Geoff!" the guard roared. "I'm killing this trash!"

The lower rank guard shuffled into one of the seats, unable to do anything to stop the higher ranked officer. Jeebs began stomping his way down the carriage towards Johnny. Johnny himself stood upright in the aisle, fists clenched near his chest in an attacking stance. The guard was clearly larger and stronger than him but Johnny's determination was more powerful.

The guard lunged at Johnny with a swinging right hook. Johnny ducked down out of the punch, his hair tips moving slightly in the gust of movement. There was no time to react as Jeebs threw a downward jab into his right shoulder, knocking Johnny down onto one knee. Johnny winced in pain as the guard mocked him. "Just give up and I'll let you die quick." he laughed.

Johnny's fist clenched tighter. "You first." he spat, throwing himself into a vicious counter attack. With all the strength he could muster, Johnny leapt to his feet with a mighty left uppercut. The punch hit directly underneath the guards chin, his back arching backwards with the blow. He lurched back a few steps, banging into one of the seat corners hard before twisting and slamming into the aisle way floor face first.

The second guard was shocked. "C-Captain?"

Johnny stood motionless in the aisle, unsure of what would happen next. The guard was dragging himself to his hands and knees, coughing out blood dripping from his mouth. "You're not getting away with that..." he cursed, reaching for this belt.

The lady shrieked. "Look out! He's got a gun!"

"Silence!" Jeebs commanded, raising his gun at her.

Johnny stared in horror as he pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed loudly within the carriage as Johnny saw the lady slump forward out of his sight behind the seats. "What have you done?!" he shouted, trying to restrain the anger raging inside.

Jeebs pulled himself up using the seating next to him, laughing as he turned around. "You shouldn't worry about it." the guard mused, wiping some blood oozing down his chin. "Because in a few seconds you'll be dead!"

Johnny grinned, sighting something behind the gunman. "I don't think so."

Jeebs eyes shifted to his partner. Geoff stood upright, his right hand over his chest performing the Shinra salute. He slowly turned around, dropping his gun at the sight. 

Standing silently inside the doorway was a Shinra commander. His unfriendly eyes were locked on the injured guard before shifting to the saluting guard. "Officer, explain the situation."

Geoff cleared his throat. "W-well we were...um...t-the captain thought that girl was t-the intruder..."

"And that man mugged her!" Johnny added, pointing at the fallen guard. "Was going to do something else as well."

The Commanders frown deepened, frightening Jeebs further. "Put all of your money on the ground, captain. Now."

Distastefully, Jeebs pulled out a large sum of gil and put it on the ground in front of him. As he got to his feet he picked up the dropped gun, slipping it back into the holster.

The commander pulled out the pen and notepad out of his chest pocket. Putting the pen to paper he looked at the two guards. "Military ID numbers." 

"C4117." grumbled the captain.

"O9634." 

He scrawled down their numbers and slid the items back into his pocket. "By the end of the week you'll be transferred to the IICP." he stated with a harsh tone.

"Please no!" the captain squealed. "Not the Icicle Inn Cold Patrol!"

The commander remained unmoved by the captains cries. "Be grateful I don't have you executed."

Johnny waved his arm, grabbing the commanders attention. "At least spare this guy." he said, pointing at Geoff. "He tried to stop that guy."

"I'll consider." replied the commander, now looking at the two guards. "Leave."

The two guards shuffled down to the end of the carriage, their pride somewhat broken. Jeebs glared at Johnny as he hobbled past him only to be met by Johnnys smug grin. Geoff on the other hand, whispered a generous thanks as he passed him. At the end of the carriage, the pair about turned to salute their commander before carrying on back into the next carriage. The doors swished shut. They were finally gone.

Johnny and the commander locked eyes briefly, before breaking out into fits of laughter. "Man were they duped!" chuckled Johnny. "Good work Commander Biggs!"

"Hah! I liked that punch more than my prank." laughed Biggs. "It doesn't look like a move Tifa showed you. Where'd you pull that from?"

"I dunno. It just sort of happened when she-" Johnny realized he was forgetting something. "Oh my, is she alright?"

Biggs nodded. "The shot missed her. She just fainted, that's all." He knelt down picking up one of the scattered papers on the ground. "Good thing nothing happened." he added, pointing at a familiar logo on a letterhead. "She works high up in Shinra HQ somewhere."

Johnny collected his thoughts, trying to piece together what was going on. "So, what happened before Biggs?" he asked.

Biggs glanced at his watch. "Well, Jess messed up Cloud's ID card so he had to bail out with Barret and Tifa."

"Oh ok then. What about those guards? Can you really transfer them?"

"A REAL Shinra commander could." admitted Biggs. "I'll ask Jess and see if she can."

Biggs watch beeped, it was time to leave. Johnny came up to him and gave him a friendly hug. "Tell everyone good luck for me."

"You know I will." said Biggs. The doors swished open as he slowly stepped backwards. He smiled as he swung around and walked out of the carriage, signalling the thumbs up to Johnny as he left.

Johnny looked down on the unconscious girl. She was slumped forward, resting her head on the seat ahead of her. He gently pushed her onto the backrest, smiling slightly as she appeared a bit more comfortable. Moving to return to his seat he stopped, realizing what a mess he had made.

He sighed and knelt down. After scooping up the scattered papers on the ground, he stacked them neatly in a pile next to the resting girl. 

With the mess somewhat cleaned up Johnny went back and slumped into his seat. Gazing longingly out into Sector 5, he could see what looked like a flower garden in someone's backyard.

_At least the view outside's nice..._


	3. Chapter 2: Old Friends, New Friends

Chapter 2 - Old Friends, New Friends

He stepped out onto the train platform, staring briefly at the horde of people making their way to the exit. Johnny was the only person to come out of the carriage. He could not muster the heart to wake the sleeping girl.

The Sector 4 train platform had only one exit. The long tunnel near the end of the platform branched out in two directions at the end. One led to the city streets while the other led two the airbus terminal. Looking skyward he could see a black square-shaped hole in the plate above. Ever since Sector 8 had been overrun by mako monsters Sector 4 was the only place where it was possible to get air transport onto the plates above.

He took a deep breath before making his way down the now deserted tunnel. It was modestly lit, with some of the lights either flickering or not working at all. A faint breeze wafted along the path, dragging old newspapers along the broken concrete slabs. 

A voice echoed down the tunnel from behind him. "Excuse me! Sir!" Johnny stopped walking, listening to the approaching footsteps. Turning around, he could see the lady from the train carriage he was on making her way down the tunnel.

She stopped next to him, pausing briefly to catch her breath. Johnny smiled. "It's good to know you're alright now."

She drew a timid smile, appearing to be slightly confused at what to say. "I...umm...thank you...Johnny..."

"What the?!" Johnny was quite astonished. "How did you know my name?"

The lady reached into her pocket and pulled out his ID card. "I found this on the floor in the carriage. You must have dropped it."

"Oh." Johnny politely took the card and slid it back into his pocket. "Well, I suppose I can thank you too now!" he laughed lightheartedly, trying to ease the tension.

"It's no problem at all." she replied, smiling more freely. "It's the least I can do."

Johnny cleared his throat. "Ah, well...lets get out of here. The guards might think we're committing something." He beckoned with his arm for her to proceed. With a courteous nod, the pair continued walking. 

As they made their way down the tunnel the lady asked some questions, trying to quench her curiosity. "So what happened to those guards Johnny?"

"A Shinra Commander friend of mine came in and ordered them to leave."

She stopped for a moment, pausing to get a clipboard and pen out of her bag. Catching up to him she continued interrogating. "So what was your friends military ID? I must thank him for his help."

Johnny put his hand to his chin trying to think of a good lie. "I...ahh...sorry." he shrugged. "I can't remember."

"Well that's alright, how about you give me his name? I'll be able to find him."

Johnny stopped walking, sweat drops began forming on his forehead. "I...ummm..."

Her light green eyes looked into Johnnys. "Surely you know your friends name?"

His conscience felt uneasy. It didn't seem right to lie. He sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. "My friend...he wasn't a real Shinra commander..."

"You mean he was posing as a commander?" she said, with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"If I told you his name you would probably arrest him." Johnny added, rather guiltily.

She was jotting notes onto the paper as he spoke. "No, no, Johnny." she assured. "I know you're a good person. I'm quite sure your friends are just as kind-hearted." There was no malice in her voice, only a calm, sweet chime. "You don't have to tell me anything, Johnny. Lets just keep this as our little secret."

He smiled a little, feeling a bit better. "Thank again...uh..." he faltered slightly. "I...uh...didn't get your name."

"Oh how silly of me." she mused, reaching into her pocket. "My name's Mima. Mima Hinekawa." she held out a business card which Johnny kindly took from her. 

He glanced at the photo, trying to make a quick comparison. "You look quite different from this photo." he commented. "Brunette definitely suits you." Mima blushed.

The station speakers echoed through the tunnel. ATTENTION! THE MIDDAY AIRBUS DEPARTS IN FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE HAVE TICKETS READY BEFORE BOARDING!

Mima finished packing up her notes. "That's my flight. Are you going up too?"

The pair continued walking. "Sorry but no." Johnny replied. "I planned on meeting an old friend here."

She seemed slightly disappointed. "Oh, well...that's ok." 

"I'm sure I'll see you again someday." Johnny added. "Today is only the start of my adventure."

"Adventure?"

"Yeah. I'm out to see the world."

She smiled again. "It's good to see places outside Midgar. You'll love it."

Johnny smiled too. "I hope so."

They stopped again at the end of the tunnel. It branched in two directions. One led to the airbus terminal, the other to the city streets. "This is where we part ways." Johnny said, slightly saddened it came to an end.

"Thanks again for rescuing me." 

He shrugged. "It was no problem, really."

"If you're ever up on the plates, be sure to see me at the Shinra Headquarters."

Johnny hoped he would never go there. Not after how they ruined his families livelihood. "Yeah. One day..." he sighed. "Anyway, good luck to you Mima."

She leaned closer and gave Johnny a light kiss on his cheek. Johnny remained still, seeming a bit dumbfounded. She smiled as she leaned back, as if her spirits were lifted. "Until next time Johnny..." Mima turned around and headed off down the tunnel to the airbus terminal.

Johnny touched his cheek. It felt as if it was burning hot. He closed his eyes, thinking hard about the recent events. _It's probably her way of saying thank you. I mean, it can't be love...can it? _ Johnny's eyes snapped open. He wasn't sure and it was too late to find out. Echoing down the long path was the repetitive drone of whirring helicopter blades. The airbus had taken off.

He took a deep breath, and pulled out the business card placed in his pocket. He smiled at the face on the card for a long time, etching the face into his mind. "Until next time..." he uttered. Johnny put the card into his backpack. Slinging it back onto his shoulders, he turned around to face the Sector 4 Entrance. He took another deep breath before stepping down along the tunnel.

---------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, a Shinra commander readied his weapon. He signaled for his soldiers to approach quietly.

The troupe crept over to the leaders position near one of the entrance doors. "Do not move until the president has given the signal! Repeat! Do not move until the president has given the signal!"

The last of the soldiers nodded to the commander as he came up against the wall. "AirBuster is operational sir."

The commander peered through his binoculars, sighting three people running along the gangway. "Targets sighted!" he spoke into his radio "Should we initiate the capture Mr. President?"

The reply was swift and sharp. "Their play time is over. Capture them!"

The reactor doors flew open and the stream of Shinra troops poured into the reactor's main entrance walkway. 

Cloud stopped moving, realizing what just happened. "...a trap..." Tifa and Barrett turned around, recognizing a short business man making their way towards them.

"Presi...President Shinra?" An evil smirk spread across the mans face.

---------------------------------------------------

Johnny moved slowly down the streets, preferring to observe the sights more than get to his next destination quickly. He had plans for the first day of his trip - the rest was an unknown. His first order of business was to visit a friend who worked in the sector occasionally. After spending the day catching up, he then planned to spend the night in a hostel.

All around him were rows of endless houses, many sporting fences surrounding their bare front lawns. Just like at his home in Sector 7, the grass did not grow. It surprised him a little, considering he saw a lush garden in someone's back yard on board the train. Looming up ahead of him was at tall pale blue house at the end of an intersection. 

Unlike all the other houses in the neighborhood, the house had a neatly manicured lawn in the front. The small trees in the garden were wilting slightly, looking a little out of place in an otherwise glowing garden. He stood at the gates for a while, seeming hesitant to move.

_This can't be where he works. I must have the wrong place..._

Johnny held up his friends business card. Glancing at both the letterbox and the address on the card, he saw that the two matched. _This is definitely the place..._

As he reached for the gate, the earth began to tremble. Explosions sounded off somewhere above him. He looked skyward for a moment, closing his eyes quickly as the dust to sprinkle down. A loud clang of twisting metal echoed around him from nearby. Turning around on his shaky feet he saw a large metal panel had fallen from the the plate above.

_Take cover!_

Fear began to take over as he looked for some shelter. Sighting the porch on the house, Johnny hurried through the gate and up the steps under the roof. The unstable ground proved to much for Johnny's balance - he fell off his feet onto the floor. Turning around looking out into the street, he saw that pandemonium reigned. Pets were wailing uncontrollably, some windows were shattering and the few people on the street cried out in fear. Slowly the shaking began to subside.

Johnny got to his feet and surveyed the damage. The streets were now blanketed in a thick brown haze. A few plate panels from above lay strewn across the area.

Something cold pressed against his back. Johnny turned around slowly, coming to face a woman wielding a gun to his chest. Her short blonde hair was parted to the side and was noticeably disheveled, as if she had only just woken up. Her blue business suit was fairly creased, and a few buttons still undone. "Get out of here before I shoot." she hissed.

Johnny stepped back slowly. "C-can you at least let me e-explain?" he stuttered.

She prepped her weapon. "No."

"I'm l-looking for a person who lives here..."

"Oh puh-leeze!" she laughed. "A street rat like you know somebody from here?"

"H-his names Rude."

Johnny noticed she lowered her gun slightly. "And how do you know this 'Rude'?" she demanded.

"Do you always have to give everyone a hard time?" bellowed a voice from the behind the woman. Johnny grinned as he saw his longtime friend emerge. "Sorry bout that Johnny." Rude apologized. "Elena's always cranky when anything wakes her up."

"I-I can tell." he replied, somewhat hesitantly. Elena still had her weapon raised at him.

"Well don't just stand there!" Rude beckoned. "Come in, Come in!"

Elena lowered her weapon, slipping back into it's holster. "Next time, I will shoot." she stated coldly before allowing Johnny to pass.

As he stepped through the door, his mind froze. It was a sight he had seen only in TV. The large spacious house sported numerous expensive looking pieces of furniture and artwork. Framed above the fireplace stood a portrait of Midgar's leader, President Shinra. It seemed like an awkward place when compared with the rundown houses down the road. The place was surprising clean looking despite the strong ground tremors moments earlier.

"Impressive isn't it?" commented Rude.

"Definitely."

Rude smiled. "Wait till you see where I stay above the plate. It makes this place seem like a doghouse."

"No way!" said Johnny. "This place is just too flash looking. It can't be any better than here."

Rude nodded. "Better believe it." he pointed at the the seating in the large living room. "Let's have a seat."

Johnny made his way over to the very large and comfy looking couch. He sat himself down, taking off his bag and putting it on the floor next to him. Behind him, Elena grumpily closed the door and vanished upstairs. "Are you sure you work here Rude?"

His friend laughed out loud, sitting himself down. "Sometimes I wonder the same thing, but it's true. There's other places we work all over the world."

"We?" Johnny asked, slightly confused. "Are you and Elena?"

"Oh no, no, no. Just teammates." said Rude, slightly red-faced. "I hope Elena didn't hear that. She'd kick our butts."

Johnny rubbed his shoulder, feeling a slight twinge of pain. "Hope not. Already had my butt nearly kicked on my train."

"Oh?" Rude seemed a little curious. "What happened?"

"Nothing much. Just got in a fight with some guards." Johnny grinned.

Rude adjusted his glasses. "At least your not busted up." he added. "What happened after?"

"Biggs came in disguised as a Commander and freaked the heck out of them."

The sound of a throat clearing echoed through the room. Turning around, Johnny saw a man standing in the doorway. Unlike Elena, this mans suit was clean pressed and tidy. His long red hair was tied into a long ponytail in the back. In his left hand he held a long staff which he was fiddling with around his fingers. "We got us another job."

Rude stood up, smoothing out the creases in his suit. "Excuse me for a moment Johnny." He followed the man out the door onto the front porch. From what Johnny could make out, it sounded as if Rude was arguing with the other person. A few moments later he could hear the other man storming away.

Rude reentered the room, setting himself back down on the couch. "Sorry about that. Reno wanted me to do some escort work with him."

"You could have gone with him." said Johnny. "I don't mind, really." 

A smile appeared on Rude's face. "Nah. I already told them in advance I was taking the day off to catch up on old times."

"You sure about this?" Johnny asked.

Rude nodded. "For sure." He got to his feet. "Let's head out to town for the day. What do you say?"

He looked at the gold clock cautiously. "Will it take long? I've still got to plan somewhere to sleep for tonight." 

"Oh don't worry about it. We can lend out a room for you." assured Rude. "Now come on. Time to paint the town red! My shout!"

The spark in Johnny's eyes glowed. "Yeah! Just like old times!" Johnny got up to his feet. The two walked out of the room to the door. Looking around as he walked down the path, they could see the chaos of moments ago had subsided. Life in Sector 4 returned to what it was only hours ago. 

-------------

**Authors Comment**

Well that's another chapter completed. I know this chapter seems kind of slow paced (so is the next one) but I needed to put these in to fill in the background story for future chapters. Fear not AVALANCHE fans, they'll be appearing soon...

Feel free to R&R peeps.  
DragonSquall :)


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